Investigation underway for 'homophobic photo' of Redwood High School students in Visalia

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- A photograph circulating connected societal media has led to an probe by the Visalia Unified School District.

The representation astatine the halfway of it shows a radical of astir 10 Redwood precocious schoolers wearing shirts with letters and numbers that spell retired what the territory is calling a "hateful homophobic slur."

"A batch of radical astatine school, including the elder people are truly upset astir the ignorant and rash actions of radical that were successful the photo," says an unnamed Redwood High Senior.

The students are each seniors. Officials accidental the representation was taken Thursday during schoolhouse hours, instantly pursuing a elder people photograph shoot.

In the elder photo, the shirts spelled retired "Class of 2026 Always Legit," earlier they rearranged the letters to accidental the derogatory word.

A Redwood elder tells Action News the gym was filled with hundreds of students astatine the time, and says those successful the photograph were leaders connected campus.

"They are wide known successful school. They're expected to beryllium starring by illustration with the clubs that they tally and represent, and radical are conscionable truly huffy due to the fact that online things tin aboveground truly fast," says the Redwood High Senior.

The territory rapidly denounced the students' actions.

The main released a connection the aforesaid night, calling the behaviour 'unacceptable.'

An probe is present underway by some the schoolhouse field and the territory office.

"We privation the full assemblage to cognize that this is not typical of our values oregon our values of immoderate of our schoolhouse campuses. We besides privation families to cognize that determination volition beryllium consequences for this precise superior behavior," says Natali Garza, Executive Director of Student Services.

The interaction of the representation is far-reaching.

The Source LGBT+ Center, located successful Visalia, says they've been inundated with calls since it was posted. They held a younker and assemblage forum Friday successful response.

"Hate code does person a nonstop interaction connected not lone pupil performance, but students' feelings of isolation summation and anxiety, depression, suicidal ideations. We're seeing kids commencement to exemplary behaviors that they're seeing successful adults engaging, present we're seeing that trickle down into our schools." says Ericka Hawkyard, The Source Visalia Director of Programs.

The territory could not specify the punishment for these students but says they could beryllium facing superior punishment including suspension and nonaccomplishment of privileges but it volition yet beryllium determined by the district's codification of conduct.

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